Archaeology of the Gold Rush Waterfront

Summary

Archaeological research conducted in the former, now land-filled Gold Rush waterfront of San Francisco has defined a rapidly developed port infrastructure and substantial remains of discarded material culture that comprises a several block wide and deep macro-site. Buried ships, collapsed buildings, pilings from wharves and piers, and discarded cargoes buried by urban expansion and the filling of the are have emerged periodically due to redevelopment since 1907 and discoveries continue well into the early 21st century. These discoveries should not be looked at as single sites but rather as part of a more extensive buried maritime cultural landscape. As well, the material culture and features of this massive site define an "instant port" in an "instant city" reliant not only on intense capitalization by entrepreneurial maritime interests, but also reliant on global maritime trade diverted in response to the Gold Rush.

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